Impact of waist-to-hip and waist-to-height ratios on physical performance: insights from the Longevity Check-up 8+ project.

Abstract

Background: Physical performance is crucial for healthy aging. Body composition has gained particular attention. Anthropometric measurements, specifically the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) and the waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), have emerged as valuable indicators. This study aims to investigate the correlation between abnormal WHR and waist-to-height ratios with physical performance.

Methods: Data from the Longevity Check-up 8+ project were analyzed. Anthropometric measurements were used to calculate WHR and WHtR. Physical performance was evaluated through the chair stand test. ANCOVA assessed the impact of WHR and WHtR on physical performance, while Cox proportional-hazards models were used to assess the relation between WHR, WHtR and physical performance. ROC curves analyzed their predictive capability.

Results: Among 10690 participants (mean age 57.0 ± 14.8 y; 54% females), men exhibited higher WHR and WHtR and a higher prevalence of abnormal values (61% and 71%). Women took longer to complete the chair stand test (7.9 ± 2.7 vs. 7.6 ± 2.4 seconds, p < 0.01). Abnormal WHR and WHtR were associated with poorer physical performance after adjusting for confounders (HR: 1.28; 95% CI: 1.08-1.53; HR: 1.32; 95% CI: 1.04-1.66). ROC curve analysis showed that WHtR had superior predictive capability to identify lower physical performance across age and gender groups.

Conclusions: Individuals with higher WHR and WHtR values demonstrated poorer physical performance, underscoring the importance of monitoring abdominal fat distribution as a predictor of functional health and aging-related outcomes.